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Carlos Alcaraz recently captured back-to-back titles at the Vienna Open and the Paris Masters, bringing his career Masters 1000 tally to nine. Despite his remarkable success and status as one of the defining players of his generation, former Grand Slam semi-finalist John Isner argues that the Spanish star still has significant room for growth, specifically pointing out that his serve falls short of elite status.
John Isner Critiques Alcaraz’s Serve
Speaking on an episode of the podcast ‘Nothing Major’, as reported by sports.yahoo.com, Isner discussed the areas where the young champion can still develop. “He can get better. His serve can still get better. I still think his serve can improve so much. You saw Novak [Djokovic] improve his serve in the middle towards late on in his career, and he just went boom,” Isner stated.
“Carlos’ serve, for as incredible as he is, his serve is not a top-10 serve by any means. When you watch him from the back of the court, it is like, ‘How can anyone play this sport better?'” Isner added.
Statistics Support Isner’s Assessment
Official statistics from the past 52 weeks on the ATP Tour validate Isner’s observations. Alcaraz sits 13th overall for ‘Serve Rating’ at 287.1. While he lands inside the top 10 for first serve percentage at 67.9% (7th), second serve points won at 55.3% (8th), and service games won at 88.1% (6th), he struggles in other serving metrics. He ranks 39th in first serve points won at 73.2% and 59th in average aces per match with 4.8, alongside averaging 2.2 double faults per match.
Conversely, Alcaraz dominates the return categories on the tour. He holds the top Return Rating in men’s tennis at 161.5, leading the tour in first serve return points won at 34.4% and return games won at 29.7%. He also ranks third in second serve return points won at 53.9% and fifth in break points converted at 43.5%. These numbers highlight the serve as a clear focal point for Alcaraz and his coaching team as they plan for the 2027 season.
Rankings and the Upcoming ATP Finals
Alcaraz currently occupies the world number three spot in the official ATP Rankings with 7,100 points, trailing leader Alexander Zverev at 9,550 points and second-ranked Jannik Sinner at 9,450 points. Sinner will miss the upcoming ATP Finals due to injury, forcing him to drop 1,500 points. Meanwhile, Alcaraz has the opportunity to add up to 500 points in Turin, which could narrow the gap heading into the new year.
The 2026 ATP Finals in Turin commence on November 15, featuring a field that includes Alcaraz, Zverev, Ben Shelton, Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, Arthur Fils, Frances Tiafoe, and Rafael Jodar.
